Author's Note:
This idea popped into my head, and I just had to jot down a quick one-shot for it :-P High school AU
The title of this story comes from the serial that Toshiro writes for the Seireitei Communication ;-D
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.
Karin Kurosaki considered herself to be very good at reading people. She oftentimes was able to perceive things about others that they tried to keep buried deep beneath their pleasant and friendly surfaces with plastered on smiles, and cheerful hellos. With her laid-back, no-nonsense attitude, and sarcastic disposition, she was oftentimes able to get people to loosen up around her; thus, drawing out their true personalities. It was a skill she had honed and mastered over the years; much to most people's chagrin. Now, at just seventeen, she considered it her greatest asset as she faced graduation, and the imminent entering of a much larger world full of many different kinds of people; most of whom would be fakes just looking for the next angle to help them get ahead in life. Her father and brother were also blessed with this particular ability, so she figured it had to run in the family, at least to a certain extent. She knew her friends very well, and could read her family – particularly her twin sister Yuzu – like the back of her hand. She was proud of being able to unearth people's inner personalities and emotions, and nobody escaped her uncanny ability…except one.
And that irritated her.
A lot.
Toshiro Hitsugaya was the school's ice prince. With snow-white hair, piercing turquoise eyes; a lean and muscular figure, and an almost perpetual frown on his face, he was the resident heartthrob. Almost every girl in the building was infatuated with him, and followed him around like a lovesick puppy. Even Karin herself, who was known for her lack of any girlish traits, couldn't deny that he was ridiculously attractive, and she had harbored a secret crush on him for years.
Not that she would ever openly admit that, though; and, if anyone ever pressed her about it, they'd end up with a few broken bones.
Due to that reality, Toshiro incurred the suppressed wrath of most of the male student body; but no one dared to say anything, or lay a finger on him. With his reputation as a Kenjutsu master, as well as being proficient in hand-to-hand combat, the other boys tended to give him a wide berth, and keep their mouths shut for fear of possibly being sent to the hospital.
However much anyone tried to get close to him, the antisocial youth almost always only portrayed three emotions: Irritation, anger, or indifference. Karin had seen him crack a small smile or smirk on occasion, but they were few and far between. The two of them had been friends for seven years, and he would open up to her here and there about different things; particularly if he was in need of some solid, non-biased advice. She was kind of like his sounding board, in a way, which she actually enjoyed.
The only people he really showed any sort of kind and gentle attitude towards were his adoptive older sister Momo, and his bubbly aunt, Rangiku Matsumoto. Even now, as the two of them sat in the Karakura High Soccer clubroom going over the list of their relatively new freshman players, and discussed revisions to their practice regiments, his trademark frown was fixed solidly on his face as he scrutinized the team roster before him.
Given that the two of them held the titles of captain and vice-captain of the soccer club, they spent quite a bit of time together outside of school. She was probably the closest person to him outside of his family, but still felt like she knew so little about the man who was really sitting opposite her at the table…the man underneath the cold exterior.
Over the years, she'd seen glimpses of a soft, affectionate, and passionate person with a fun and sarcastic personality not unlike her own. For some reason, though, he kept himself walled off from the world around him; not usually letting anything or anyone affect him. She suspected it had something to do with the death of his parents about ten years ago, but she never asked about it. If it were anyone else, she'd have no qualms about broaching the subject; but she cared about him very deeply, and ever since the death of her own mother twelve years ago at the hands of a random street thug, she recognized the buried pain she saw in his eyes whenever the topic of family came up.
She'd seen it in the mirror many times before.
Not wanting to force him to relive an event that was clearly still incredibly painful, Karin never brought it up, and he never offered any information. A part of her wanted him to feel that he could confide in her, but she couldn't really blame him, either. After all, it's not like she'd ever shared anything about her mother's death with him.
"Hey, earth to Karin. Anyone there?"
Karin jolted back to reality as she brought her gaze back to his; embarrassed that she'd zoned out. "Huh? Sorry, what were you saying?"
Toshiro held the now reorganized folder of players in his hand; a small smirk on his face, and amusement in his eyes. "I was asking if you were all set with this, but I'd much rather know what you were thinking."
Karin gave him an unamused scowl as a light blush settled over her face, which only caused his smirk to grow. 'Damn him' she thought. "First: yes, I am. Second: that's really none of your business, Toshiro."
The young man raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his vice-captain; clearly intrigued. "Unfortunately for you, it is if it's distracting you from club responsibilities." he replied as he put the folder aside, leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees, and looked her in the eyes. "What's on your mind?"
Not wishing to tell him that he was the one occupying her thoughts – well, more like his serious trust issues – she caught a glimpse of the snow outside, and thought fast. "It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about the school's upcoming snow and ice festival. I'm looking forward to seeing the sculptures again this year. Last year…" she trailed off as a memory popped into her mind; her scowl morphing into a sad smile.
Toshiro waited patiently for her to continue; curious to hear more. It wasn't like Karin to get sentimental, so this was a side of her that he was relatively unfamiliar with.
Slowly bringing her gaze back to his, her smile softened a little. "Last year, I saw this amazing ice carving of a female archer, and it reminded me of my mom. She was skilled in kyūdō, and used a photo of herself practicing as her senior picture. I could tell that picture was a study for the sculpture; it looked just like her. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I never found out who made it, but I wish I could've thanked them. It brought back some good memories."
Toshiro dropped his gaze to his hands, and Karin worried that she'd said too much. Talking about deceased family was territory that they'd never really strayed into before throughout the course of their long friendship, and she thought she might have overstepped the mark.
All was quiet for a moment before Toshiro returned his gaze to hers, and broke the silence. "I remember; you showed me that picture. I've known you since we were ten, but this is only the second time I've ever heard you talk about your mother."
Karin's soft smile grew slightly, and her dark eyes shone from the light of the setting sun through the windows. "Yeah. Ever since she died, I've avoided the subject because of the pain; but I've been finding lately that talking about her, and remembering the incredible woman that she was, is actually helping the hurt go away. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, but thinking of her at her best, and not…" she paused for a moment; swallowing hard as her smile dropped. "not lying dead at our clinic has been good for me. That doesn't mean it's easy, though."
Toshiro watched her carefully as the pain of the memory showed through her usual tomboy persona. He knew he probably shouldn't ask, but something in him told him that she wanted him to…so he did. "What happened to her?"
Karin studied him for a moment before answering. "She was picking my brother up from the local dojo. They were on their way home when this guy came out from an alleyway with a knife. She told Ichigo to run home, and get Dad while she talked to him. We only lived about eight minutes down the road, but by the time Ichi got back with me and Dad…she was gone. I'm just glad Yuzu was at a friend's house at the time; it would have scarred her. There was blood everywhere. Mom had tried to fight the guy off, but he ended up stabbing her twice in the stomach, and once through the chest. She didn't have a chance."
She couldn't believe she was telling him all of this, but it actually felt good to talk about it with someone who understood her pain. Even if he was a hard person to get to know, she considered him a good friend, and she trusted him. Not only that, though, she was hoping that her willingness to be open would encourage him to do the same. She wanted him to confide in her; she wanted to get to know the man behind the mask.
A moment of silence passed between the two as Karin watched the swirl of emotions in Toshiro's beautiful turquoise eyes. Damn, why did he have to be such a pretty boy?
His face had a look of slight surprise; from her frankness, or from the story itself, she couldn't tell. He didn't miss a beat as he asked his next question, though. "Your dad and brother brought you with them? What were they thinking?"
Karin smirked at him. "I wasn't letting them leave the house without me. Even though I was only five at the time, I was still a stubborn brat. I told my dad I'd burn the house down if he didn't take me with them."
The look of surprise on the white-haired teen's face vanished, and was replaced by a smirk of his own. "Why does that not surprise me."
Karin laughed as Toshiro's smirk softened to a small smile. Looking back at him, she wasn't sure if she should continue with the current topic. She really wanted to ask, but didn't want to ruin this nice moment between the two of them.
Finally, her curiosity overruled her better judgement, and she opened her mouth. "What happened to your parents? I've never heard you talk about them."
She watched him stiffen while his face became unreadable, and she mentally kicked herself. 'Idiot! You had to go and ruin it, didn't you?!'
He was quiet for a moment as Karin watched him intently; waiting to see if he'd answer her, or if he'd get up and leave.
Finally, Toshiro took a deep breath, and found her gaze with his own. "My parents were murdered by my uncle…my mom's brother. My Aunt Rangiku's first husband."
From the melancholy but comical way he was looking at her, Karin was sure her jaw must have hit the floor. She blinked once, then twice, before the information finally sunk it. "WHAT?! What the hell happened?!"
Toshiro chuckled slightly, before a frown appeared on his face. "My dad was the police commissioner, and my mom was a detective. They'd been working on tracking down a crime lord by the name of Sosuke Aizen for months, and were getting close. They didn't know it for a while, but my uncle, Gin Ichimaru, worked for Aizen. The bastard used threats against Rangiku's life in order to force Gin into killing my parents. Gin came to the house one night for what he claimed was just an impromptu visit, but my dad had just found out about his involvement with Aizen. He confronted Gin about it, and before I knew it, my uncle had shot both of my parents."
He paused then, and took a deep breath; collecting himself before continuing. "I couldn't move. I just stood there, and waited for him to kill me, too…but he didn't. I could see it in his eyes; he was just as horrified as I was. He turned the gun on himself, and I watched him shoot himself in the head. The police showed up a few minutes later. I guess a neighbor had heard the gunshots, and called 911. Eventually, they found Aizen, and brought him to court. He was given the death penalty, but that'll never change the fact that he took my parents and my uncle away from me. Since I didn't have any other living relatives, my aunt took me in as her adopted son; and Momo joined us three years later when my aunt married her father, Shuhei Hisagi."
Karin just stared at him; not sure what to say, but looking at him with sad understanding. "I'm so sorry, Toshiro. I shouldn't have asked."
Toshiro shook his head in reply; giving her a small smile. "No, it's okay. It's about time I told someone about it, and I know you understand. Thanks for listening."
The raven-haired Kurosaki smiled warmly back at him, and gave him a light punch on the arm. "No problem. I'm glad if it helped." she replied; bright turquoise meeting stormy dark grey.
All was quiet for a moment before Toshiro got up, and extended a hand out to her. "Come on. It's time to go home." he said; offering her a gentle smile that he usually only directed at his sister.
Karin felt her face warm up as she nodded wordlessly, and took his hand; rising up off her seat, and following him out the door.
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The next day, everyone was anxiously counting down the hours until the school's annual snow and ice festival. This year's theme was mythology, which meant there would most likely be some pretty cool games, exhibits, and snow and ice sculptures on display. The teachers were even bringing the theme into today's classes. In Karin's history class, Mr. Takeda had all of the students call out their birth years to determine their zodiac animals. While Toshiro was born in 1989, and Karin in 1990 - thus making them Snake and Horse, respectfully - the rest of the class argued that Karin's personality was much closer to the Tiger; while Toshiro's aligned with both the Snake and the Dragon. Many other kids were the focus of such comparisons as well, including Yuzu; who's personality was much closer to the Sheep. Everyone had fun throughout the class, and Toshiro even cracked a smile when an angry Karin grabbed one of the male students by the collar, and made him cower in fear as he apologized profusely for a suggestive remark he made towards her sister.
By the end of the class, the kids ignored the birth years altogether, and simply chose whichever zodiac animal they felt best suited their personalities. After the final verdict, Yuzu was declared a Sheep, Karin a Tiger, and Toshiro a serpentine Dragon; combining the personalities of the two animals.
The rest of the morning classes went much the same, with teachers throwing in various mythological activities all throughout class. By the time the bell rang for lunch, everyone was dying for the school day to end so the festival could start the next day.
Unfortunately for Karin, however, life didn't work like that. She was currently having to suffer through listening to Yuzu and her friends discuss their dates for the event during lunch. Most everyone in Yuzu's friend circle either had a significant other, or had a crush on someone. Yuzu herself was going with her boyfriend Jinta, while her friends Mei, Ayame, and Sakura were going with their boyfriends. Yodo and her twin sister Yona were waiting to see if their respective crushes would ask them, and Karin was once again the only one in the group that was perfectly happy to go on her own.
She honestly couldn't understand what possessed these girls to be so desperate to have a date to the festival. To her, it was just a fun event that got everyone out of school for a day. 'Well, I always was the black sheep of the family, so why no just extend that to the entire female species' she thought sarcastically; a smirk appearing on her face as her sister and her group of friends obsessed about clothes, makeup, and accessories.
Karin knew she was a good-looking girl; she'd heard many of the boys around the school describe her as 'sexy, but scary', and she took pride in that; oftentimes using it to her advantage to win arguments, or for entertainment. Teasing the boys, and causing them to make fools of themselves, never got old; even if it did earn her repeated scoldings from Yuzu. With her silky black hair, very curvaceous figure, and athletic build, she was by no means lacking in attention from the male student body; she just had no interest in any of them. None of them saw her for who she really was: a strong, sarcastic, fun-loving tomboy who much preferred to get dirty and sweaty on the soccer field than dressed up in pretty clothes for a date to the movies.
The only boy that had ever caught her attention was the ice prince, and that was because he had treated her like his equal ever since they were kids. He saw the real her. On the soccer field, she was his reliable right-hand man; in school, she was his classmate; and outside of school, she was his childhood friend; someone whom she could go to for advice, and who was more than willing to call out her BS when she needed to be scolded. That's what she valued more than anything in a person, and her luck just sucked enough that the one person who treated her the way she wanted her future significant other to treat her was also the one person that took pains to make himself unknowable by almost everyone.
Sighing, she dropped her head on the table as her sister rattled away with her friends. 'Why does life suck so much?' she thought, before noticing that the entire group of females had gone quiet. Lifting her head up off the table, and glancing behind her – where they were all staring – she saw Toshiro standing with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and his eyes fixed on her.
He stood there in silence for a few moments before Karin cocked an inquisitive eyebrow, and shot him a small smirk. "Have you been turned into a pillar of salt, or is there something you wanted to say?"
He gave her an irritated scowl in return, before motioning with a tilt of his head for her to follow him. Curious, Karin got up, and excused herself, before running after her old friend; leaving the table of women to gossip and speculate.
Once they were far enough away from Yuzu and her friends, and it was just the two of them at the back of the cafeteria, Toshiro removed his hands from his pockets; crossing his arms over his chest, and finding Karin's gaze. "Thanks for leaving your lunch."
Karin gave him a sarcastic smile in reply; putting a hand on her hip. "It's no problem. In reality, I should be thanking you for getting me out of there. They're nice enough girls, but I was ready to duck-tape their mouths shut."
Toshiro smirked in reply as he studied the dark-haired twin. "So, you owe me, then?" he asked; giving her a playful look.
Karin just sighed good-naturedly, and shook her head. "Sure, if that's how you wanna look at it." she replied; bringing her gaze to his. Giving him a curious look, she smiled slightly. "So, what's up? I assume you dragged me over here to talk about something?"
All of a sudden, Toshiro seemed a little nervous, and the reaction intrigued Karin. He was usually the epitome of cool and collected; not much ever made him nervous. He stared at her for a minute before taking a deep breath, and holding her gaze with his own. "Yeah, I did. I came to ask if you wanted to go to the festival with me tomorrow."
He couldn't help the amused smirk that made its way onto his face at seeing Karin's reaction. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth hung open like a Venus fly trap, and the hand that she'd had on her hip fell to her side like a limp noodle. Clearly, she wasn't expecting that to come out of his mouth.
After giving her a moment to process the question, he continued. "Usually, Momo gets out of school for the day, and comes with me; but she's coming with her boyfriend this year. I don't really like going to these sorts of things to begin with, but I thought it might be entertaining if we went together. You usually go alone every year, don't you?" he asked; waiting patiently for her to recover from her shock.
Karin shook herself out of her stunned stupor, and nodded in reply. "Yeah, I always go alone. Yuzu goes with her friends, and Ichi won't be back from college in time. There's no way in hell I'd show up with goat-chin, so I've just taken to going on my own over the years."
The white-haired teen cocked an inquisitive eyebrow; the amused smirk still on his face. "So, is that a yes, or a no, then?" he asked; enjoying how her cheeks adopted a light shade of pink as she realized she hadn't answered his question yet.
Embarrassed, Karin adopted a frown as she crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Fine, I'll keep you company. If I get attacked by your fan club, though, you'll owe me restitution."
Toshiro's smirk grew slightly in response. "I can live with that. Since I have to walk past the clinic to get to school, I'll pick you up tomorrow at 10. See you then." he said as he turned, and walked off; disappearing out of the cafeteria.
Karin just stared after him; still trying to process the conversation.
'What the hell just happened?'
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"EEEEEEEECK! I can't believe you're going out on a date with Toshiro!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Yuzu, It's not a date. We're just hanging out for the day."
"What do you think a date is, Karin?! He so totally asked you out! Now, hold still; this might tug a little..."
"Ugh, remind me why I let you talk me into-Ouch!" Karin yelled as her sister viciously attacked a giant knot in her hair; tugging at the raven locks with little sympathy.
"Sorry, Karin! Just hang on one second…" the brunette replied; working the knot out more gently this time. After Karin had told her sister about her conversation with the school's ice prince, Yuzu went into obsessive mode; rifling through the dark-haired twin's closet for the perfect outfit to dress her sister in, and talking about a bunch of different ways to take her long, unruly, spiky hair, and make it look more feminine and appealing.
Needless to say, Karin had been less than pleased. After several arguments about wardrobe and hair with her sister, the twins finally reached a mutual agreement on both. Settling on a white turtleneck and dark blue skinny jeans paired with a brown vest, brown snow boots lined with white fur, and a dark blue down jacket that reached her ankles, Karin was now sitting in a stray office chair in the living room as her sister attempted to tame her hair enough to get it into a loose fishtail braid.
Yuzu had been insistent on Karin looking her best for the date, despite her raven-haired twin continuously telling her it was not, in fact, a date. Now, just five minutes before Toshiro and Jinta were due to arrive, the pretty young brunette was putting the finishing touches on both of their hair and makeup. She wouldn't accept anything less than perfection.
Just as the doorbell wrang, the girls were finishing up their preparations. Putting on her cross-body bag before grabbing her long coat and brown mittens, Karin walked over to the door, and opened it.
Standing outside were Jinta, Ayame, and her boyfriend Chojiro. Karin greeted them all before hollering to her twin that her friends and boyfriend were here. Yuzu ran over to the open door, gave her twin a hug goodbye, and headed out; with Karin putting her coat and mittens on as she watched them walk down the street.
No sooner did they disappear around the corner than Karin say snow-white hair and turquoise eyes headed towards the door. Yelling to her dad that she was leaving, she closed the door behind her, and walked out to meet her companion for the day. He was dressed in black snow boots, demin jeans, and a dark grey long-sleeved shirt; with his signature teal scarf hanging loosely around his neck, and a black hooded snow jacket.
Toshiro gave her a small smirk; giving her a quick once-over. "I assume your sister got a hold of you? The outfit doesn't exactly scream 'Karin'."
Karin returned his smirk with one of her own. "I did my best to fight her off, but you know how Yuzu is when her mind is set. At least I was able to talk her down to snow boots, and a simple turtleneck and jeans."
Toshiro's smirk morphed into a small smile as they both turned towards the sidewalk. "Well, for what it's worth, you look good. Come on, let's get going. We've got a lot to see."
Karin felt her cheeks flush slightly. It wasn't like Toshiro to give out compliments of any sort, unless they were on the soccer field. 'Well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Karin. Just take it' she thought as they made their way down the street, and towards the school.
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Unless you were either a student, or a yearly attender of the festival, you wouldn't have recognized Karakura High after the overnight transformation. The school looked like a winter palace, and everywhere the eye could see there were winter-themed games, contests, and artwork.
Toshiro and Karin enjoyed spending the day walking around the school, checking out the games, contests, and other activities; even grabbing a late lunch in town before gradually making their way back to the crown jewel of the festival: the ice sculpture display. Everyone liked waiting until the evening to view the beautiful creations, because they were lit up at night, and looked like ethereal crystals against the inky black of the night sky.
The soccer field was always the display area, and the sculptures took up every available square inch. It took them over an hour to view everything, with Toshiro surprising Karin with his knowledge of the ice sculpting process, and the quality of the sculptures themselves. She wondered for a moment how he seemed to know it so intricately, but then reminded herself that he was the smartest kid in school, and there was very little he didn't know about.
They passed several creative entries; ranging from large prehistoric sea creatures, to depictions of ancient gods, and even a carving of Pandora's Box. Karin marveled at every piece of artwork even more than the last, and Toshiro seemed to enjoy watching her wonder-struck face light up with the examination of each new piece.
It took a while, but they eventually found the highlight of the ice sculpture exhibit, and Karin gaped. "Wow…I don't think I've ever seen anything so incredible before." she said; reaching up, and gently running her fingers along the icy surface of the carving.
Standing before them was a life-size sculpture of a crouching tiger from Chinese mythology; roaming in a forest, and looking up into the night sky. The lights played off of it in just the right way to make it actually appear as though the stripes on the animal's body were darker than the rest of it. Not a single detail was missing, and its body was even given a light texture to make it appear as though it was actually covered in icy fur. The amount of work and focus that must have gone into this, Karin couldn't imagine. It was so life-like, it was almost scary.
Slowly, she walked all around the animal; taking in every finely carved detail until she noticed a small inscription on the beast's back left paw. Crouching down to get a better look, she was barely able to read what it said. "'Captain'. Huh, that's the same signature that's been on the best ice sculptures in this festival for the last five years. They did the archer last year, too."
When she got up from her crouching position, she noticed another detail on the tiger that had slipped her notice. Tucked into the crevice of its left ear, was a finely-detailed quince flower. Slowly, a light shade of pink started to adorn her cheeks as realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
Her name meant Chinese Quince.
All of a sudden, memories came flooding back to her. Thinking back on it, the ice sculptures over the past five years all had some sort of connection to her: the first years' was a scene depicting a young woman standing in a field peppered with mayflowers during a rain storm, and it had been raining during her birthday on May 6th the year before. The second years' was a katana beautifully engraved with vines twining around the blade, the same year she started taking Kenjutsu classes. The third years' was a giant soccer ball with different scenes of everyday life carved into each pentagon, which was the year she became vice-captain of the soccer team. Last years' was, of course, the archer that was based off of her mother; and this years' was the Tiger, the zodiac animal her classmates had assigned her.
Karin felt her face warm up as she stared unseeingly at the icy beast; processing the information. "Wow…" she mumbled; not sure exactly what to think, until she looked at her silent companion who was staring back at her.
Toshiro had an unreadable expression on his face, but it was clear he knew what was going on in her head. He seemed to be contemplating something, but she wasn't sure what.
So, falling back into familiar habits, she decided to force the topic. "What's on your mind?" she asked; watching as his face went from unreadable to a mix between nervous and resigned.
Karin gave him a curious look to get him to talk, and he turned his head toward the sculpture; a thoughtful expression on his face. "So, you've finally noticed, have you?"
A stunned look overcame Karin's face as she stared wide-eyed back at him. "Wait a minute; you knew this whole time that these sculptures were made for me?! How?! What the hell, Toshiro; do you know this person, or something?!"
Toshiro sighed, and shook his head as he looked back at her. "It's concerning how little you notice things around you."
Forget about surprised; now, Karin was just pissed. Adorning an angry frown, she crossed her arms, and adopted what she hoped was an intimidating stance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm very attentive to what's going on around me."
"I beg to differ." Toshiro replied as he pointed to the large tiger; further inflaming his fiery companion.
Karin growled in frustration, which only caused Toshiro to raise an amused eyebrow. Waving to the sculpture with both hands, she pressed on. "It's not like this was obvious, though! I'm not a mind-reader. If this guy's really had a thing for me all these years, he should've grown some balls, and told me."
Toshiro shook his head; a mix of irritation and mild amusement on his face. "There's been plenty of hints over the years, Karin; you've just never seen them. Like I said, you're not very observant."
The young Kurosaki stiffened in suppressed rage; a sharp retort on her lips that she bit back in favor of a question. "All right then, smartass; who is he? Cause, clearly, I'm too stupid to figure it out." she replied; her voice dripping with biting sarcasm.
The atmosphere seemed to shift in an instant, and Karin watched as her white-haired companion's demeanor changed from one of amusement and exasperation, to one of seriousness and focus.
She instantly dropped her defensive attitude, and let her arms hang at her sides.
Toshiro locked his gaze with hers, and Karin could almost swear something in him seemed to be pleading with her, judging from the look in his eyes. "I never said you were stupid, Karin; you've just never paid attention to detail."
Karin looked at him quizzically; deep in thought, and processing what he just said. There was a heavy silence between the two of them for a moment; stormy grey locked with bright turquoise…until they heard someone holler at them from the next isle over.
Whipping their heads in the direction of the noise, they saw Toshiro's adoptive older sister Momo waving, and making her way over to them; a tall, skinny, blonde boy with long bangs over the left side of his face following beside her.
"Shiro! Karin! I'm so glad we found you! I figured you'd be at this part of the festival by now. So, how have you liked it so far? Have you two had a fun day?" the dark-haired beauty asked.
Toshiro glared at his older sister; an unimpressed look on his face, while Karin smiled, and greeted the cheery girl. "Hey Momo. Yeah, the day's been awesome. We've seen pretty much everything at this point. How about you and…?" she said, looking to Momo's right at the blonde boy.
A hypothetical light bulb went off over the young girl's head as a broad smile overtook her face. "Oh, that's right! You two haven't met yet. Karin, this is Izuru Kira, my boyfriend. Izuru, this is Karin Kurosaki: Toshiro's friend, and vice-captain of the soccer club."
Karin extended her hand out to the boy; a friendly smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, Izuru."
The skinny blonde took her hand, and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you too, Karin." he said; a small smile on his face.
"So, have you two been having fun? Seen everything yet, or did you just get here?" Karin asked; ignoring the irritated boy standing beside her. Even though she was upset that their conversation had been interrupted, Karin wasn't about to be rude to the pair. She liked Momo, and would never treat her, or anyone important to her, poorly. The bubbly dark-haired girl reminded her of Yuzu in many ways, and she enjoyed talking with her.
Momo smiled cheerfully back at her. "Oh, we've been here for a couple of hours. We've seen almost everything, but we haven't tried any games yet. We just wanted to make sure we found you, and said hi, before you left."
At that moment, they heard another sound that Karin instantly recognized: her twin with her friend group. "Karin! Toshiro! Over here! It's time to head home!" Yuzu yelled from across the soccer field; waving her hands in the air. Karin waved back, before looking over to Momo and Izuru with an apologetic smile. "I'm glad you guys found us, cause that's our curfew call. Sorry to cut and run, but Yuzu and I need to get back to the house. Our brother's coming home from college tonight for the week, so goat-chin wants us all back for dinner."
Momo shook her head in reply; her bright smile warm enough to melt the ice in antarctica. "No problem, Karin. I'm just glad we got to say hi. Have a great time with your family, and tell Ichigo I said hi."
Karin smiled back at the girl, and nodded her head; before saying goodbye to the two of them, and walking over to Yuzu's group with Toshiro in tow.
She was so focused on getting over to her sister that she missed the knowing look, and sly smile, that Momo gave her little brother as they walked past her.
EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F - EF-F
The walk home between the two of them was quiet; with Karin continuously replaying Toshiro's words to her in her mind. What was she missing?
Finally, when they all got to the Kurosaki Clinic, everyone said their goodbyes to the twins. While Yuzu was saying goodnight to Jinta, Karin turned to Toshiro; a questioning look on her face.
Toshiro found her gaze, and held it for a moment, before sighing lightly; averting his eyes. He took a deep breath, and returned his focus to her. "Are you going to the Sapporo Snow Festival this weekend?"
Karin gave him a quizzical look. "Yeah, I'm flying there with my family tomorrow while Ichi's home. Why?"
Toshiro held her gaze; his eyes looking more like emeralds in the current lighting as they probed hers. "If you really can't figure it out, go to the festival, and look at the ice sculptures. Goodnight, Karin. Thanks for coming with me today." he replied as he offered her a small smile; before shoving his hands in his pockets, saying goodnight to Yuzu, and walking away with Jinta and the rest of the group.
Karin just stared after him while her sister had a Cheshire grin plastered onto her face. "So? How'd it go?" she asked eagerly.
Karin just shook her head slightly. "I've never been more confused by anyone in my life." she replied; turning on her heels, and heading directly up to her room to get out of her clothes, and into some pajamas.
'I never said you were stupid, Karin; you've just never paid attention to detail'
That phrase swirled around Karin's head on a perpetual loop; through the big family dinner, and even into her dreams that night.
'you've just never paid attention to detail'
'attention to detail'
'detail…'
Karin woke up at four o'clock the next morning with a jolt; her eyes wide. "Oh my god, that's it…" she gasped, as she sat there, and thought about past events. "I really was the problem, all along. Dammit…"
She felt like an idiot; not noticing what was right in front of her for so many years. "Well, time to fix that." she said as she got out of bed, and finished packing her suitcase. They wouldn't be leaving for the airport for another six hours, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So, she was determined to find things to do to keep herself busy until then.
It was a long wait, but once they had landed on Hokkaido, and checked into their hotel in Sapporo, Karin was chomping at the bit to get outside, and start hunting through the sculptures.
Unfortunately for her, her family had other plans. Since it was already 2:00 in the afternoon, and no one had eaten lunch yet, her father and brother had suggested going out to lunch. Yuzu had agreed eagerly, so Karin felt like she had to go along with it as well.
After spending another hour and a half at lunch, her patience was starting to wear thin. She managed to convince them to head over to the snow festival once they were done eating instead of doing some shopping, but couldn't extricate herself from them to start on her mission. It took another hour before her family decided to head back into the city to grab some souvenirs. Karin talked her dad into letting her stay, and look at the ice sculptures while the rest of them went shopping, and scoped out a place for dinner later. Once they left, she immediately set to her task.
The place was huge, and there were so many ice and snow sculptures to look at that she wasn't even halfway through the park after an hour. The creations were beautiful, and she had to admit that it was really cool being able to see artwork from some of the best sculptors in the world. The sun had just about finished its descent, and the inky black of the night was quickly taking over. 'Damn, I won't be able to read the signatures on the sculptures soon' she thought as she continued wandering through the maze of ice and snow creations.
She was just about ready to give up for the night when a large ice sculpture caught her eye, and her breath caught. There, tucked in the back of the park, and lit up with a single uplight, was a giant recreation of the carving at her school; only this time, there was more to the piece. Above the tiger was a large serpentine dragon, looking down on the earth as it emerged from the heavens; gazing almost longingly at the tiger. The clouds swirled behind it, creating the Yin-Yang symbol. It was breathtaking, and Karin stared at it in awe for a moment before she felt eyes on her. Looking around, but seeing no one, she decided to make her way over to the icy masterpiece.
Looking up at the dragon, a gentle smile made its way onto her face. "I was right, ya know? I really am stupid. I never noticed what was right in front of me. I was thinking all night about everything that's happened in my past; all the events that have taken place, and how they related to those other ice sculptures. The more I replayed them in my head, the clearer everything became. There was always one common denominator."
At this point, she turned to her right, and stared at the trunk of a large Oriental Plane tree. "You were there. You were the only one of my friends who came over to play with me on my twelfth birthday, even though it was pouring outside. You were my Kenjutsu partner when I first started taking lessons, and you taught me the basics. You were, and still are, my best ally on the soccer field. You were the only one I showed that picture of my mother to, when I dug out her old high school year book that one time when you were over at the house to work on a partner project for science class. You've always smiled at me more than anyone else, other than your family; and I'm the only one you participate in sarcastic jousts with. You actually like hanging out with me, which should have been the dead giveaway in and of itself; and you've always been there for me when I needed someone. The guy who I thought would never be interested in anyone…the guy I've liked for years…was trying to get my attention this whole time. How did I not see it before now?" she asked, as she watched a familiar head of white hair and turquoise eyes emerge from behind the tree; holding her gaze with his own as he made his way towards her.
"I already told you; you've never paid much attention to detail." he replied; a humorous, but soft smile on his face as he came to a stop in front of her.
Karin gave him a sly smile in return; her eyes shining. "Evidently," she said as her smile took on a much softer appearance.
They stared at each other for a moment before Karin turned back toward the ice sculpture; pure wonder on her face. "Where did you learn to do this? You're one of the best sculptors I've ever seen." she replied; glancing at him, before returning her gaze to the piece of artwork.
Toshiro looked at his creation as well; running a gentle hand along the icy-cold surface of the tiger. "My dad taught me. This was his favorite hobby, and he had me carving by the time I was three. I fell in love with it, and practiced every chance I got. I'll never forget what he told me when I started getting really good at it."
Karin looked at him quizzically; curiosity evident on her face. "What did he tell you?"
Toshiro looked back at her then; his eyes showing all the emotions his face kept concealed. "He told me to find a muse; because once I did, I'd never fall out of love with it…and he was right." he replied as Karin turned back to face him fully, and he reached up to gently tuck a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear.
Nothing else needed to be said between them as they instinctively leaned in; meeting each other halfway. Karin brought her hands up, and fisted them in the collar of his jacket; pulling him closer as he brought a hand up to gently cradle her face while his other snaked around her waist. Parting her lips, he could taste the sweet concoction of purity and innocence that she was, and it was even more intoxicating than he'd anticipated.
They only separated when the need for air became dire; neither making any attempt to extricate themselves from the other's grasp. Keeping his gaze fixed on hers, Toshiro raised an amused eyebrow; a sly smile on his face. "So…years, huh?"
Karin felt her face warm up, but she gave him a cheeky smile of her own in return. "What a shame you've been missing out for so long; huh, Toshiro?"
Watching as his eyes seemed to darken with the full setting of the sun, Karin couldn't help the excitement that rose in her. For so many years, she'd known that he was the only one whom she could consider her equal in every way; the only one who would ever own both her respect, and her heart. She thought he'd never open up fully to anyone; never see her as anything other than a good friend, and she'd resigned herself to that sad fate for so long, she'd missed all of the signs. Now, though; now she had him, body and soul; and she sure as hell wasn't letting him go.
Giving her a gentle smile that had a hint of playfulness in it, Toshiro leaned back in. "I'll just need to make up for lost time, then."
Karin's excitement grew as he captured her lips with his once more; pulling her in, and holding her close as their eyes fell closed. 'Best damn snow and ice festival ever' she thought; looking forward to the many years ahead of getting to know the man who'd captured her attention, and drawn her in so completely…all thanks to beautiful crystal, and a little observation.